Start date January 2024 | Location: London | 2 year apprenticeship
The Sun – the country’s number one newsbrand – has partnered with MOBOLISE – the new talent and recruitment platform from MOBO Group, the organisation behind the iconic MOBO Awards, to create two entertainment journalist apprenticeships focused on music and culture of Black origin.
MOBOLISE is a talent and recruitment platform that supports and connects diverse professionals with career opportunities. The new apprenticeship scheme is aimed at broadening diversity both in the newsroom and in The Sun’s showbiz content and coverage, with a focus on music and culture of Black origin.
Two successful applicants will each receive a two-year contract with a competitive salary above the London living wage. The apprentices will be immersed in the exciting world of entertainment journalism, as well as studying towards a fully-funded NCTJ Diploma.
Your role
As an apprentice who specialises in music and culture of Black origin at The Sun, you will immerse yourself in the exciting world of entertainment journalism, gaining valuable experience alongside our seasoned showbiz team. You will be working in a fast-paced and exciting environment at The Sun writing about music and culture of Black origin, the world’s most famous faces, interviewing showbiz stars on camera and reporting from red carpets, parties and press events.
During your apprenticeship, you will receive regular check ins and support from the MOBOLISE and The Sun teams.
At the end of the 2 year programme you’ll complete your apprenticeship with great experiences, knowledge, a network in music and culture of Black origin, and a journalism qualification.
Being an apprentice at The Sun
During your time with us you will earn above living wage, get full training, 4 days a week with The Sun and 1 day a week studying – including an NCTJ Diploma in journalism – which The Sun will arrange with all your course fees paid.
Your team
We’re a friendly team who work together to produce the greatest TV and showbiz stories on the internet. We split our working time between the London Bridge newsroom, home, and the hottest red-carpet events.
Day to day you will:
- Research and report on the latest news within music and culture of Black origin.
- Stay up-to-date with trends and developments to identify and suggest fresh and exciting story angles to news & feature desks.
- Support our social media presence by creating engaging content and interacting with our audience.
- Assist in conducting interviews with celebrities, musicians, actors, directors, and other prominent figures in the entertainment industry.
- Have the opportunity to experience the thrill of live event coverage at award shows, and high-profile celebrity events.
What we are looking for from you:
- A genuine passion and knowledge of music and culture of Black origin.
- Strong writing skills and an ability to craft engaging, attention-grabbing content.
- A flexible attitude to work in a fast-paced, ever-changing entertainment landscape.
- Comfortable with various social media platforms and an understanding of how to engage an audience online.
- A collaborative spirit and the ability to work effectively within a dynamic showbiz team.
- A thirst for entertainment knowledge and a willingness to dig deep for exclusive stories.
This role is open to all applicants. We particularly encourage applications from people who identify as Black and Black Mixed heritage.
Application Process
Online Application > Video Interview > Assessment Centre
As part of the Online Application process, we would like you to provide answers to our application questions that explains why you want to join The Sun and answer the following 3 questions:
- Tell us about yourself and why you have applied for this apprenticeship?
- How would you describe The Sun and what do you like/dislike about it?
- Give us an example of a showbiz story within music of Black Origin you have covered / or would like to cover – and how you would treat that story on our platforms.
The Sun is the most popular newsbrand in the UK, reaching 27.1 million people a month across digital and print. As The People’s Paper, The Sun is at the heart of the nation’s conversation, blending serious investigations, agenda-setting campaigns, political scoops and celebrity gossip.
More than a newspaper, The Sun is an instigator, an entertainer, a cultural reference point, a finger on the pulse, a daily relationship
We are News UK
One of the leading media businesses in the UK and Ireland. Our newsbrands include The Times, The Sunday Times, The Sun, The Sun on Sunday and The TLS. Our national broadcast brands include talkSPORT, Times Radio, TalkTV and Virgin Radio UK, and we have market-leading local radio stations across Ireland. Our world-famous brands provide news, analysis, opinion and entertainment to almost 40 million people each month. Spanning print and pixel, audio and video, events and experiences, our multiplatform brands are home to a plurality of opinion, representing the diverse communities we serve. News UK is wholly owned by News Corp.
Life at News
Driven by passion, guided by principles and acting with purpose. We represent, reflect and reach the nation, telling the stories that matter. We inform our audiences so that they can make decisions based on trusted information.
To do this, we believe our employees must represent different backgrounds, perspectives and experiences. We strive to maximise and encourage every individual’s potential and ensure everyone feels valued. We support this through our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategy, which focuses on three main priorities – attracting talent from a wider, more representative pool, developing equity programmes to drive better representation in our leadership, and ensuring diversity and inclusivity in our workforce as well as the journalism and content we produce. We also currently have 13 employee led networks and groups that support our strategy and connect like minded employees socially.
Benefits
Some of our benefits include:
- Maternity leave up to 18 weeks full basic salary & paternity leave up to 2 weeks
- Wide range of training available, plus full LinkedIn Learning access
- Private medical insurance including coverage for pre-existing conditions
- Discounted gym memberships, free ClassPass at Home, weekly virtual yoga classes
- ‘Bikes for Work’ and ‘Electric Car’ scheme
- Up to 60% discount on Harper Collins books
- Access to exclusive events and competitions with exciting brands such as talkSPORT, Virgin Radio UK & The Times. Weekly virtual panel chats with top journalists and celebrities
- Access to wellbeing benefits such as EAP, physio/massage and counselling
- A generous pension scheme with employer contributions of up to 5%
- 25 days holiday, plus bank holidays and up to 4 volunteering days per year
We want to ensure that everyone we meet has the opportunity to perform to their best when applying for a role. Please let us know, at any stage, whether you require any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, and we will do our best to accommodate.